Would love to know if your experience is the same on both SE and balanced outputs 
The red unit looks absolutely gorgeous compared to the RNHP.
Some quick testing, balanced seems to push more power (More volume), but otherwise, they seem to sound pretty much identical as far as I can tell for any practical purpose. Iāve only been using the amp at ālow gainā as well. Ive tried āhigh gainā a bitā¦ but definitely way too overkill with the Focal Clearsā¦ a bit past 9 o clock gets way too loud.
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So hereās my ābriefā SPL Phonitor E Review,
Listening through the Focal Clears and using the Topping D90 as a sourceā¦ primarily listening to a mix of genres through Amazon Music HD, along with some light gaming and movie watching as well.
First to answer the question, āIs this a tangible, noticeable upgrade over a THX amp or RNHP or any number of cheaper, very well measuring amps?ā
The short answer is yes. Itās a very noticeable upgrade in resolution, detail, separationā¦ etc. Itās the type of difference I think anyone would be able to hear relatively easily. This is not like going from a THX amp to the RNHP, which very much surprised me, but Iād still more or less put a 789 and RNHP in the same ātierā of amp. The SPL Phonitor E definitely sounds like a higher tier amp.
I donāt want to oversell it, but I also donāt want to undersell it either.
So for the record I love the sound coming from this amp, but if I play devilās advocate and try to imagine how someone else who didnāt like the changes this amp was introducing, I might say it sounds āthinā or too āclinicalā. Yes, even compared to a THX or RNHP.
A note to the ASR Crowd, click arrow to read
Yes, I know thereās a preconception that an amp cleaner sounding than THX isnāt possible, I had that preconception as well. I am well aware and VERY wary of phychoacoustic affects and placebo. Iāve second guessed myself multiple times and it gets to a point that it becomes more āmaddeningā to deny it and simply accept what Iām hearing is actually what Iām hearing, especially after multiple A/B sessions and sleeping on it after hours of listening, waking up and hearing the same differences consistently. Iād simply implore anyone with any lingering doubt to not take any one personās or group of peopleās point of view as being āinfaluableā and to simply try things and judge for themselves.
That being said, itās not clinical in the sense of being fatiguing or harsh. It just very plainly and simply has extremely high resolve. Itās very similar or in the direction of the fast, transient sound detail you get from an electrostat.
When I spent time ABing this amp against the RNHP, I didnāt hear any differences as far as ātonalityā or āwidthā so I knew for certain there was nothing happening there, but the difference in separation was distinctly obvious. Itās the type of thing I had surmised just came down to recording quality/source material (and it probably still is to an extent).
Sounds on the RNHP just kind of mash together more, and overall music turns more into a āmessy ball of soundā. The RNHP is still great, but we are just talking relative comparisons here. When I switch over to the SPL Phonitor E, comparatively, everything suddenly gets a lot more delineated by a pretty noticeable degree. Itās almost like the impulse response of the Focal Clears suddenly improvedā¦ but they didnāt, itās just the amp.
As a result, music overall sounds a lot less ānoisyā and more āarticulateā. It makes listening a lot less fatiguing. And it also does a great deal for imaging as well, improving the already stellar imaging of the Focal Clears.
But again, I donāt want to oversell it. Itās not a stark night and day difference. If I were to put an arbitrary percentage on it, Iād go with 10-15% of improved resonance detail for an amp that is 300%-400% the price of a THX 789. It doesnāt do anything to add any ābodyā or āwarmthā to the sound. It makes the Focal Clears sound even more āneutralā. But itās definitely more than enough of an improvement to justify putting it over $1000 in my opinion, but like most solid-state amps, they are more alike than they are different.
Personally, I am very happy to have this amp on my desk. It sounds very nice and I likely wonāt be moving on to another amp for a while now. For my limited experience, especially when it comes to $1000+ amps, itās definitely the nicest amp Iāve ever heeard and itās the best my music has ever sounded.
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Iām reminded of that scene in Half Baked, where the guy quits his job at the burger place by saying āF You, F youā¦youāre cool. AND F YOU!!ā
You guys are super bad influences. I bought a Phonitor e and I blame all of you. 
Iāll receive it within my RHNP return window so I can do some AB testing. That Phonitor sure it big! Iāll miss my little compact setup.
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Or it could be that the clear scales with higher end amps lol
Nice review 
, I have similar experiences to yours, itās a pretty sweet amp. I donāt know if I am ready to relearn another amp for studio use so I stick with rnhp for now (still swear by it even though I have plenty of ābetterā amps in the other room lol
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Iām reminded of a time where I was golfing my Dad, one of his friends and my brother. The friend was a perfectly decent golfer, and showed up in Calloway clothes, a Greg Norman hat and with a bag of the latest clubs.
My brother shows up in cargo shorts and a T shirt, with a bag of great quality but older and scuffed up clubs shoved in a well worn bag. The friend doesnāt look twiceā¦until my bro hits his 1 iron 300 yards off the tee (no kidding) and birdies the first hole. Turns out my scruffy brother was a 1 handicapper.
Anywayā¦point is that trusted equipment is better than the latest tech or specs.
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I would like to upgrade, but I havenāt found an amp that I really like for studio as much as the rnhp.
That being said, I have a feeling that the microZOTL MZ3 waiting at home WILL replace the rnhp, and I canāt wait lol. Most natural yet neutral amp I have heard so far
Spoiler: it didnāt really, better amp overall but not direct upgrade
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oh- nice little box from pictures and what I read
Just sounded amazingly natural, was not expecting that
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for with your 8000 Pro?
These and the yesterday named HeadAmp GSX mini mkII are not as wildly known in our enthusiast circles
At least what I saw in the last 1.5years of the hobby
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With most of the headphones I demoed with them, have heard them with the clear, Aurorus Audio Borealis, a diana phi, and a lcd4
They make a mini mk2? I only thought they made the mini and the mk2 as separate components. (I have the mk2 not the mini)
Oh sorry - was on the wrong product- browser on the phone had it still open from yesterday after the callā¦
Read all on the homepage from front to back:)
isnāt this still in prototype status? or Beta status?
Sorry going off topic like crazy
Correct, that was an amp I demoed these on
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This could be a interesting topic for itself
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Giova, fantastic review. Thank you for taking the time.
And thank you for accounting for human fallibility in your review. It lends weight and credibility to your analysis.
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Excellent review!
Your currents finding are in line with the few Iāve communicated with whoāve listened to both amps for an extended period of time.
There are imo immeasurable nuanced differences in sound that our ears do perceive. Something like decay comes to mind. These āthingsā have become the main differentiators for me when comparing headphones, amps, and dacs when tonality is even.
Thanks again for the time youāve taken and for the great information.
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